A Roman Holiday

Sightseeing in Rome is exhilarating and exhausting. Its sheer imperial scale of Rome is sure to knock you out. That it wasn't built in a day is quickly evident when you start exploring the Roman ruins, monuments, basilicas, churches, piazzi, parks, museums and fountains. All these and the Vatican too! Founded, according to legend, by Romulus and Remus in 753 BC, Rome was first the center of the Roman Republic, then of the Roman Empire, and then, it became the capital of the Christian world in the 4th century, the "Caput Mundi," and now the World Heritage site extended in 1990 to the walls of Urban VIII includes some of the major monuments of antiquity such as the massive Colosseum, the Forums, the Mausoleum of Augustus, the Mausoleum of Hadrian, the Pantheon, Trajan's Column and the Column of Marcus Aurelius, as well as the religious and public buildings of papal Rome. Basilica San Clemente is perhaps Rome's most unusual church near the Colosseum. Place of worship for more than 2,000 years, first as a pagan temple and, since the fourth century, a Christian church that was rebuilt in the 12th century; each structure still visible; frescoes and mosaics date to the first millennium. The Eternal City is one of Europe's most ancient urban centers, dating back almost 3,000 years. Rome's early inhabitants left behind a trove of architectural masterpieces. The Italian capital also boasts an unparalleled concentration of world-class art, from Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel to the baroque Trevi Fountain, and teems with restaurants, trattorie, osterie, pizzerie, enoteche, cafés, bars, and gelaterie. It is home to the animated, good-humored Romans, who live to eat, drink wine (and espresso), and be merry. So, for this series, I chose selected video clips of my Roman holiday in the year 2003.

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YouTube | December 27, 2007

Tags:. .museums. .italian. .according. .log. .wine